The present invention relates to electronic equipment for use with audio-visual (AV) equipment. Particularly, the present invention relates to electronic equipment which can remove the risk such that a user will be disturbed, incorrect input and output will be misunderstood as a failure and that a digital signal of high tone quality will not be reproduced if incorrect input and output are selected when the input/output of audio and visual signal are selected.
In audio visual (AV) equipment, for example, recently, there are developed a variety of signal source apparatus, and one of the most important functions of equipment is to select a signal from a variety of these signal source apparatus.
FIG. 8 shows a diagram of a system arrangement of such audio-visual (AV) equipment. In FIG. 8, signal source apparatus such as an optical disk player 51 such as a so-called compact disc player, a tape deck 52, a recording and reproducing apparatus 53 using a recordable optical disk, a digital video disk player 54 and a video tape recorder 55 are connected to a main amplifier apparatus 50, and audio and visual signals from these signal source apparatus 51 to 55 are inputted to and selected by the main amplifier apparatus 50. Then, the audio and visual signal selected by the main amplifier apparatus 50 is outputted to a television receiver 56, speakers 57, 58 and the like, and also outputted to the recording and reproducing apparatus 53 using the recordable optical disk, the video tape recorder 55 and the like.
According to the prior art, when the input/output of the audio and visual signal is selected, the input/output of the audio and visual signal is directly selected by operating keys corresponding to the input and output or the like or sequentially selected by using a rotary encoder or the like. However, according to such a selection method, when the input to which the signal source apparatus is not connected is selected in somewhere of the sequential selection, for example, there is then the risk that the television receiver 56, the speakers 57, 58 and the like will not be operated and that a noise will be outputted to disturb a user.
Also, when the input/output is directly selected, for example, if the input and output to which the signal source apparatus is not connected is selected, there is then the risk that the whole of the system will not be operated, which will be misunderstood as a failure or an extra burden such as when the user should memorize the input and output which are not in use will be imposed upon the user. Further, it becomes extremely difficult for other persons than the ordinary users to select the input and output by the above-mentioned procedure.
Furthermore, as the audio and visual signals inputted from such signal source apparatus 51 to 55 or the like, in addition to the conventional analog signal, there are recently supplied a variety of digital signals. In that case, as the digital signals, there exist a variety of signal forms such as a signal modulated by an RF signal, a signal supplied by an optical cable and a signal supplied by a coaxial cable.
Also, these digital signals may be supplied solely or supplied at the same time the analog signal is supplied. Further, in a reproduced signal supplied from the video tape recorder apparatus 55 or the like, for example, when a digital audio signal is recorded in response to a software being reproduced, the digital audio signal and the analog audio signal are supplied simultaneously. When the digital audio signal is not recorded, only the analog audio signal is supplied.
Accordingly, when the input of such audio and visual signal is selected by the above-mentioned rotary encoder, for example, when the digital audio signal and the analog audio signal, for example, are supplied simultaneously, if the analog audio signal is selected first, then the digital audio signal cannot be distinguished from the analog audio signal by man""s ordinary auditory sense. There is then the risk that the digital audio signal of high tone quality will not be reproduced. On the other hand, it is frequently observed that a user should listen to sounds of, in particular, the analog audio signal.
The present invention sets use/non-use at every input and output terminal and makes a processing on the selection of the input and output terminal which are not in use by using the above-mentioned setting. Also, when the input is switched, the signal of the digital signal input terminal is selected and used to switch the input. Also, when the input of the digital signal is not detected, the analog signal input terminal is selected. The present invention discloses electronic equipment according to the present invention in association therewith.